Commercial aircraft are typically fitted with galleys for storing and preparing food provided in meal services to passengers. Galleys include storage spaces for galley carts, which in turn contain food trays, beverages, silverware, etc. Galleys may also include ovens for heating food, coffeemakers, trash receptacles, and countertop space for food service preparation.
Current galley systems have a number of shortcomings. For example, in long-range flights in which two or three meals are served, large galleys are needed to accommodate the large number of galley carts needed to store the food and waste. These large galleys occupy a lot of space, and as a result, reduce the number of passenger seats that can be fitted on the passenger deck. This reduces the amount of revenue for the airline. It is known to provide cart and/or tray stowage in the aircraft lower lobe. However, known lower lobe stowage systems typically use automated components that, upon failure, do not allow manual access to the lower storage area. A further disadvantage of known galley systems is that in many commercial aircraft configurations, the galley is located on the passenger deck adjacent to where passengers are seated. The passengers can thus view portions of the food preparation and cleanup, which may be unpleasant to view, especially during cleanup.
Thus, a need exists for a commercial aircraft galley arrangement in which a large number of carts may be used without interfering with the number of passengers the airline is able to accommodate and without interfering with galley service during anomalous conditions. Ideally, such an improved galley system will not create an unpleasant environment for passengers to view. The present invention is directed to fulfilling these needs and others as described below.